MULTI-FLEXIBLE BODY DYNAMICS CAPTURING MOTION-INDUCED STIFFNESS

This paper presents a multi-flexible-body dynamics formulation incorporating a recently developed theory for capturing motion-induced stiffness for an arbitrary structure undergoing large rotation and translation accompanied by small vibrations. In essence, the method consists of correcting dynamical equations for an arbitrary flexible body, unavoidably linearized prematurely in modal coordinates, with generalized active forces due to geometric stiffness corresponding to a system of 12 inertia forces and 9 inertia couples distributed over the body. Computation of geometric stiffness in this way does not require any iterative update. Equations of motion are derived by means of Kane's method. A treatment is given for handling prescribed motions and calculating interaction forces. Results of simulations of motions of three flexible spacecraft, involving stiffening during spinup motion, dynamic buckling, and a slewing maneuver, demonstrate the validity and generality of the theory.